Do you tell your employer you’re on the spectrum?
by Beth
Cornell University is conducting a Survey on Emerging Employment Issues for People with autism and other Disabilities. This is a good opportunity for us to share our perspective on emerging employment issues. One topic covered in the survey might be of particular interest to people with Asperger’s: disclosing your disability in the workplace.
The survey is co-sponsored by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Cornell University. They’re hoping the results will provide a foundation for guiding policy change around these issues. The survey is brief (should only take 5-10 minutes), so if you have the time, link to the survey to share your unique perspective and expertise.
October 19th, 2011 at 7:28 am
Ludmila and Erica – disclosure is often a topic I hear indivdiauls with autism discussing. The Autism Research Institute has a document that I have found useful (http://www.autism.com/ind_disclosure_understanding.asp). Another more piece with a more comprehensive literature review is an honors project from Ms. Kenchanok and Kunc of Wesleyan that can be accessed here (http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1143&context=psych_honproj&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dautism%2Bdisclosure%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft%3Aen-us%3AIE-SearchBox%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26sourceid%3Die7%26rlz%3D1I7ADRA_en#search=%22autism%20disclosure%22). Sorry for the long URL – not sure how to fix that via comments!
October 19th, 2011 at 7:25 am
Ludmila and Erica – disclosure is often a topic I hear indivdiauls with autism discussion. The Autism Research Institute has a document that I have found useful (http://www.autism.com/ind_disclosure_understanding.asp). Another more comprehensive piece is an honors project from Ms. Kenchanok and Kunc of Wesleyan that can be accessed here (http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1143&context=psych_honproj&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dautism%2Bdisclosure%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft%3Aen-us%3AIE-SearchBox%26ie%3DUTF-8%26oe%3DUTF-8%26sourceid%3Die7%26rlz%3D1I7ADRA_en#search=%22autism%20disclosure%22)
October 19th, 2011 at 7:19 am
HL – hank you for taking the time to comment about the need for services in Nassau. Easter Seals continues to build services for individuals with autism and other disabilities around the country. We are growing. That said, we know that we are not meeting all the needs. Appreciate you sharing that you are not able to access the support you need from us in Nassau County. We will share this with the affiliate in your geographical area (Easter Seals New York: http://ny.easterseals.com). You are also welcome to contact them directly.
Easter Seals also engages in advocacy at the local and federal level to increase access to appropriate services and supports. The needs of individuals living with autism just keep growing and we all need to work together in an attempt to meet those needs.
October 18th, 2011 at 10:21 pm
MY son is 17yrs old and a senior in high school, soon he will be graduating and needing a job. I as a mother am scared for him if he doesn’t let the employer know of his aspergers diagnoses, for fear that if they aren’t made aware they will think my son is just a rude person and give my son a hard time. At the same time my son doesn’t want to accept his diagnoses so how will he ever be able to function out in the big bad world?
October 18th, 2011 at 12:03 pm
I’ve been diagnosed with Asperger’s almost a year ago after my younger son was diagnosed with ASD. Currently I’m unemployed hoping to make it on my own but I do question myself – if I ever decide to get a job will I want to mention my diagnosis? The answer is – not really. To be honest at this point, at current level of national (and international) Autism Spectrum Disorders awareness it’s probably wouldn’t be advisable to provide that information to possible future employer. If you’re on a lower functioning side you obviously can’t avoid it but if you’re high functioning, you probably should. The reality is, a lot of people will treat you different whether you want it or not. A lot of employers will prefer “normal” people on the job. There’re of course those who will primarily look at your potentials and talents, but what is the percentage of those people?
October 14th, 2011 at 11:21 am
Why is it that Easter Seals doe NOT exist in Nassau County, NY????? I mean, I’m an adult w/ Asperger’s & why am I overlooked so? Please answer?